Callum Sheedy: Wales fly-half to join Cardiff from Bristol
- Published
Callum Sheedy has won 16 caps for Wales having made his debut in 2020
Wales fly-half Callum Sheedy will join home-city team Cardiff from Bristol for the 2024-25 season.
Sheedy is out of contract at the end of this season and would not be able to play for his national side if he did not move to Wales.
The 28-year-old has not played for Wales since head coach Warren Gatland returned for a second stint in charge in December 2022.
"I'm massively looking forward to it," said Sheedy.
"I am Cardiff born and bred and grew up here until I was 16. This is my home and I'm really looking forward to getting out there and pulling on that Cardiff jersey.
"Obviously I'm very grateful to Bristol. I feel like an adopted Bristolian and the club has been a massive part of my life and it will always have a huge part of my heart.
"But naturally when you've been somewhere for 10 years change is healthy.
"Coming back to where I'm from, my home town, is something that really excited me when I knew it was possible. In my head I always felt like I would play for Cardiff, I just didn't know when."
Cardiff have not revealed the duration of Sheedy's contract.
Their head coach, Matt Sherratt, said: "Callum is someone I know well from my time at Bristol - he is a top quality player and importantly a top quality person.
"He will add on the pitch and also be a great role model to assist with our young players' growth.
"He has flourished at Bristol, leading them back to the Premiership back in 2014-15, and then becoming an integral part of their environment and rugby program."
Bristol boss Pat Lam described Sheedy as "one of Bristol's modern greats - the club's leading Premiership points scorer and a vital part of the club's success and growth over the past decade".
Lam added: "It has truly been a blessing for me to work with Callum these last seven years - to see him work his way from fourth choice fly-half to first choice for the Bears and then being rewarded for his performances by being capped for Wales is definitely a highlight.
"While he has been a special player for us, he's been an even better team man that we all love and will miss.
"Callum and his partner Charlotte depart with our blessing and best wishes for the future, which I know will be hugely successful for both of them on and off the field."
Sheedy's move comes following Cardiff being taken over by investment group Helford Capital Limited.
The player was in Wayne Pivac's Wales side that won the 2021 Six Nations title.
He could also have played for Ireland and England, but made his international debut in 2020 and has won 16 Wales caps, with his last Test appearance coming in the Six Nations home defeat by Italy in March 2022.
Players based outside Wales must have at least 25 caps to be available for selection by Gatland.
The minimum cap limit, lowered from 60 in February 2023, was introduced in a bid to keep the top players at the four Welsh regions and therefore give Wales' head coach more preparation time with his squad.
That means Sheedy must play for one of the four Welsh professional sides next season if he wants to continue his international career.
There are no guarantees Gatland will pick Sheedy after he was left out of the current Six Nations squad, with Scarlets duo Sam Costelow and Ioan Lloyd and Dragons' Cai Evans chosen as fly-half options.
Sheedy has been battling a minor knee injury, but Gatland said fitness issues were not the reason the Bristol player was not selected for this year's tournament.
Gatland is looking to fill the void left by the retired Dan Biggar and unavailable Gareth Anscombe, while Cardiff are hoping for more number 10 resources following the departures of Jarrod Evans and Rhys Priestland last season.
South African fly-half Tinus de Beer has started all 13 games in this campaign after signing in the summer of 2023.
Sheedy was born in Cardiff, but has only played professional rugby for Bristol after leaving Wales as a teenager to attend Millfield School in Somerset.
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